Nirvana released the 1991 alternative rock album Nevermind, featuring “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987, with guitarist and singer Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic as its core members. Drummer Dave Grohl joined in 1990, completing the classic lineup heard on Nevermind.
Nevermind became a major turning point for alternative rock. Its success helped bring Seattle’s grunge scene and independent-minded guitar music to a worldwide mainstream audience. The album was produced by Butch Vig and released on September 24, 1991.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was not Nirvana’s only important song: “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” and “In Bloom” also became closely associated with the record. Nirvana’s later studio album, In Utero, followed in 1993.